Water in lower unit

[JMW]

Found water in lower unit after first 10 hours of use.

[Bt Doctur]

And the lower uint would be a ????????????

[JMW]

And the lower uint would be a ????????????

SE416 for Yamaha outboard. Guess I'm forced to take it somewhere and have it checked out for a bad seal (at my own expense) because I'm not go through the time, trouble, and expense of taking it off, packaging it up, and sending it back. Darn, if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all!

[admin]

I have been looking for an inexpensive pressure tester and haven't had much luck yet, although I think you could make one out of a cheap foot pump and the fitting from your gear lube pump.

Tech Support

[JMW]

I have been looking for an inexpensive pressure tester and haven't had much luck yet, although I think you could make one out of a cheap foot pump and the fitting from your gear lube pump.

Tech Support

Maybe, but if it is a seal, which it probably is, I'd probably have to have it professionally repaired, especially if it's a prop-shaft seal. There are only two locations for seals, aren't there? The seal under the water pump and the prop-shaft seals are the only ones I know about. Replacing lower unit seals definitely isn't something I think I'd feel comfortable doing. Is my case rare or have others had problems with water intrusion in their new lower units from SEI?

I just put new lower unit lube in this morning (Evinrude Synthetic Blend) and replaced the plugs (screws) with those from my recently blown Yamaha lower unit. Oh, also installed new o-rings. Will check it out again after I go fishing this coming Saturday. Honestly, I still expect to find water in it, but it's probably worth a try.

Is the SEI warranty only good if I package it up and send it back or will SEI honor repairs done locally if notified in advance? Thanks.

[admin]

There is also a seal on the shift shaft, which is pretty simple to replace.

Our warranty doesn't cover outside labor, so the product would have to be shipped to us.

As with any mechanical device, failures do happen, however they are not the norm.

[JMW]

Well, replacing the gaskets behind fill screws didn't help. Returned from fishing trip Saturday and removed lower unit screw to check condition of lube. Yep, you guessed it, H2O was the first thing to run out.

Guess I'll start calling around tomorrow for an estimate on pressure testing the unit and necessary seal replacement. Any ideas on how much I can expect to pay for such a service? I'm guessing it shouldn't cost anymore than $300.00 maximum to test, remove, fix, and replace (put it back on) the unit. What do you think?

Looks like the unit is going to cost me more than the purchase price. Worse than the cost is the inconvenience. Maybe buying the after market unit wasn't as good a deal as I orginially thought. :(

[admin]

If you can pull it off, you are probably better off just sending it in for warranty. That will only cost you the freight and a box if needed.

Tech Support

[JMW]

Hopefully the problem is solved. Pressure test revealed two separate leaks. First leak was the seals under the water pump and second leak was the o-ring under the water pump. Repair price wasn't so bad since I drained lube, removed unit, replaced unit, and refilled lube myself. Total cost of repair was $134.95 (includes lower unit lube). The inconvenience and down time was probably the most frustrating. When something is purchased new, I believe it is resonable not to expect this sort of thing. Followed 10 hour break in period as directed by SEI.

[JMW]

Oh know, just got back from a three day tournament and discovered water in the lower unit again. This is starting to get old quick. This will be the third time in less than three months I've had to remove the lower unit and take in for repairs because of water intrusion in the lower unit.

Could the lower unit be eating up the seals somehow?